Key Piece to Yankees’ Pitching Puzzle, C.C. Sabathia, Returns

OAKLAND, Calif. — C. C. Sabathia’s return from the disabled list Friday has the potential to be a celebrated affair. A caravan of cars filled with dozens of friends and family members from up the road in his hometown, Vallejo, will arrive at the O.co Coliseum to watch Sabathia pitch, and the Yankees’ beleaguered rotation needs a boost.

Sabathia, who lives in the New York area year-round, was unsentimental about pitching in the stadium where he watched the Athletics play when he was young.

“It just costs me money now,” said Sabathia, who was expecting 75 to 125 friends and family members to attend. His mother, Margie, handles the ticket requests, and Sabathia foots the bill. While he was once excited about pitching here, “that was a long time ago,” he said. “Now, it’s just another start.”

If Sabathia was taciturn about pitching in Oakland, perhaps it had less to do with the location than the results. Sabathia has a career 4-7 record here with a 5.44 E.R.A., and has not won in this city since 2012.

What Sabathia has in mind is replicating his last appearance — seven shutout innings at Baltimore, which came despite a sprained groin that landed him on the 15-day disabled list. It was a sign that after more than a year of searching, Sabathia could be making a successful transition from being a pitcher who relies on an upper-90-mile-per-hour fastball to one who can win with deception and location.

“Extremely encouraged,” Manager Joe Girardi said of Sabathia’s last outing. “I thought his changeup was consistent, his sinker was consistent, his breaking ball he used. He threw the ball where he wanted to. Hopefully, he just picks up where he left off.”

When it comes to his starting pitchers, Girardi has often had to keep his fingers crossed this season. Masahiro Tanaka has looked strong on five days’ rest, but middling on four, and Nathan Eovaldi appears to be turning a corner with his recent performances, including six one-hit innings on Wednesday at Arizona. But Michael Pineda and Luis Severino have been so erratic that their places in the rotation — a formality when they reported to spring training — is now cast in doubt.

Ivan Nova, who began the season in the bullpen, has a chance to fortify his case for remaining in the rotation if, on Thursday, he was able to can build on his first two starts, in which he has allowed two runs in 10⅔ innings.

Pineda began working with the pitching coach Larry Rothschild on Thursday, trying to work out kinks in his mechanics in the stretch, which Rothschild has identified as the main culprit in Pineda’s loss of command. That, in turn, has led to his slider getting pounded.

Severino, on the disabled list after feeling a twinge in his elbow, is scheduled to begin playing catch on flat ground Friday, but Girardi said he will need at least one rehabilitation start because he has gone a week without throwing.

Asked if Severino’s return to the rotation is automatic once he becomes healthy, Girardi said: “I mean, we haven’t talked about any changes. Obviously, the biggest thing is you’ve got to get him healthy and see where he’s at.”

Girardi brushed off questions about whether Severino, who has not had a full season in the majors, might be sent to the minors to iron out his problems.

“That’s way too far down the road,” he said. “These are all question marks. The big thing is we’ve got to get him right, too, similar to Michael.”

INSIDE PITCH

Alex Rodriguez’s return from the disabled list is moving at a leisurely pace, much like the speed with which he is running. Rodriguez ran from home to first four times and from first to third four times, along with running along the infield arc. There is a chance he could return Saturday, but Rodriguez and Joe Girardi said he had to be able run faster.